After posting a new record high earlier in the month, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed up 1.1% in August, with plenty of help from a basket of surging ASX 200 stocks.
Below we look at five of the best large-cap ASX shares to have bought at market close on 31 July and held through to 31 August.
And all but one of our top performers have something in common.
Can you guess what it is?
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Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX)
Westgold Resources shares surged 34.7% in August, closing the month at $6.37.
The ASX 200 gold stock was supported in part by a resurgent gold price. The yellow metal ended August trading for US$4,450 per ounce. That saw the gold price up 10% over the month, according to data from Bloomberg.
Westgold also released a number of positive exploration and resource updates over the month. And the miner reported its full-year FY 2026 results on 28 August.
Highlights included record revenue of $2.33 billion, up 79% year-on-year. And underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $480 million was up 452%.
Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)
Regis Resources shares leapt 36.3% in August to end the month trading for $8.30 each.
Regis also will have benefitted from the rising gold price.
And the ASX 200 stock released some strong FY 2026 results on 21 August.
Regis Resources reported a 43% year on year increase in gold sales revenue to $2.35 billion. And on the bottom line the miner achieved a record NPAT of $715 million, up 181% from FY 2025.
CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)
Moving away from ASX gold shares, for a moment, CSL shares also shot the lights out in August.
Shares in the ASX biotech giant closed August trading for $171.57 each, up 39.4% for the month.
CSL shares got a big lift on 18 August after the company released its FY 2026 results.
The company reported a 1% year-on-year decline in revenue to US$15.8 billion. And underlying NPATA of US$3.1 billion was down 2%.
But investors were favouring their buy buttons amid a rosier outlook for FY 2027.
Following what they labelled a 'reset year', management said they steady revenue in FY 2027, with underlying NPAT forecast to grow by around 5%.
Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU)
Moving back into the gold space, Vault Minerals shares soared 39.8% in August, ending the month at $6.67 a share.
On 20 August, Vault Minerals also spurred investor interest after it released some strong FY 2026 results.
Highlights included a 31% year on year increase in revenue from metal sales to $1.88 billion. And Vault achieved a statutory NPAT of $278.4 million.
Which brings us to…
Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD)
The fifth ASX 200 stock you would have done well to buy and hold throughout August is Genesis Minerals.
Shares in the Aussie gold miner closed out the month trading for $8.22, up a whopping 44.0% in August.
Genesis Mineral released its FY 2026 results late in the day on 20 August.
The company reported an 89% year on year increase in sales revenue to $1.74 billion. And the miner's underlying NPAT was up 147% to $547 million.
